The Synn Chronicles I
by Silver Crimsonthorn
Summary: RE re-edited. HOTU fic that encompasses the OC and SoU as backstory. ValenxOC, full summary inside. image is preliminary sketch of Amalia. Will continue working on it to make story cover.
1. Teaser

UPDATE!

Okay…so I've been taking a look at things, for those that are reading this story, and I've decided to restart the story. Yes, I've written along these lines before, and yes, I've written about Amalia before, however…the way that I have certain things planned out, the story has to be restarted. I have my reasons for this, including shifting things out of the goddamn 1st person stream of consciousness point of view. That is just one of the major reasons. Also, amongst other things, I have decided to maintain the current time, but to introduce Amalia's past using a frame device, allowing greater insight for you readers as to who, exactly, Amalia _is_. I will be keeping the originals for my personal reference, but I will _not_ be reposting them here at _any _point in time. For those who would like to see the originals, please email me at

Thank you all for your time and consideration. As always, reviews are much appreciated and fuel my writing like no other flame.

And now….the teaser for what is to come.

"Amalia," it said. A male voice, shattering my reverie, my nostalgic trance.

I looked up. Sitting across from me, oblivious to the mottled black and red couatl perched on his shoulders, Valen leaned on his elbow, staring intently, nursing drow ale that was black as the sky on a moonless, cloudless night.

"Yes? What is it, Valen? What do you need?" My voice broke halfway through the vocalization of my inquiry, showing the lack of self-confidence that he, for some reason unknown to me, instilled in me. Those piercing, ice blue eyes, watching me, peering into me, seeing my very soul, my very essence, the very fiber of my being. I squirmed slightly, waiting for his response.

"You had stopped speaking. We all wish to know what, exactly, happened next. What happened between you and Aarin Gend?"

**A/N: **

**OK, so here's the deal. Still maintaining the frame device, but RE-reworking. High school ate me, and now that I have a metric ton of time on my hands during my lunch at college, I'll be posting more often. I swear it. Just bear with me.**

**Silver**


	2. Prologue

Prologue

The floor of the Temple of Lolth in Lith My'athar was hard and cold, frigid beneath my feverish skin. The teleport from Undermountain to the Underdark had been rougher on me than other teleports, and I felt every wave of magic ebb and flow, passing both within and without me. I struggled to get to my hands and knees as the venerable-looking drow female and Nathyyra calmed the guards and began to speak. Barely managing the feat of reaching my hands and knees, I lost my lunch, fighting to keep from collapsing back onto the floor into the fetid, bilious puddle I had just created.

I barely managed to croak out Deekin's name and the word for vial in...Draconic? I couldn't tell, my mind sluggish and tumultuous from the recent dishevel. He ran over, digging through his bag for the antiemetic tonic, and, when finding none, cinched his bag shut, moving to dig through mine. He found a vial quickly, and handed it to me after he pulled the stopper. I downed the foul tasting concoction, feeling its effects within moments. It was only then that I noticed the spear inches from my face.

Deekin closed my bag after I had finished standing, then sniffed, wrinkling his snout. "Boss make sick on floor. Boss better now?"

I snapped my fingers, using a simple cantrip to whisk away the vomit, and moved Deekin further behind me. "Not now, Deeks."

The male wielding the spear was glorious-skin like carved marble, hair the colour of blood, and eyes the color of glacial ice flows. The scowl on his face was firm and well set, and his face took a viridian hue from the vibrant green breastplate that he sported. My face went blank, my eyes went wide. My muscles tensed as I prepared to take action.

His scowl deepened as he glared. "Erinyes-spawned whore. I smell you clearly." As he lunged, my hands went to the spear and, using his own momentum, I threw him across the room, the spear leaving his hands as he arced. He moved quickly into a crouching position, and I did the same, handing the spear to Deekin and moving him out of the way again.

The male charged, and I was ready, firmly gripping his horns and, using his own momentum against him yet again, kneed him square in the jaw, immediately thereafter wrapping the same leg around his neck and climbing on top of him, gripping with my thighs and my tail, my hands still firmly wrapped around his horns. I looked to the woman Nathyyra had called the Seer, and cried out a single phrase-"_Calm Humanoid_!"

She understood, and cast the spell, the male beneath me calming until he merely stood there. I gently and slowly uncurled myself from around him and climbed down. He wandered dejectedly to where he had stood before, in a darker region of the room, leaning against a pillar.

Deekin nudged me. "Boss...you gots wings again," he whispered behind his hand in an attempt at tact. I cringed at the realization, and closed my eyes, breathing deeply for a moment-long enough to calm down enough to let my wings dissipate.

The Seer looked at me once I opened my eyes, placing her hand on my shoulder, despite our height difference. "Not only are you fierce, _jalil kivvil_, but you are very important to us. I have seen you in my dreams. You are key to victory against the Valsharess. Can you hear us and our plight now, or are you still sick from your teleport?"

I grimaced. "I can hear you now. Deekin gave me my tonic."

The Seer smiled softly. "I'm glad that you can so easily rectify your teleportation sickness. Not all are so lucky."

I shrugged. "I'm lucky that I have Deekin. He came up with the formula for my tonic. If it weren't for him, I would still be on the floor fighting to keep from going face first into my vomit then passing out."

The Seer frowned. "Truly your tonic must be strong then. Would you like to sit while we discuss, perhaps have a cup of tea as we speak?"

I arched a brow. "Tea? Praise the gods, I've once again found civilization."

000

In under a half an hour, we were sitting and drinking a bold yet subtle tea, golden brown in colour and poignant in smell, so much so that you could taste the smell. We drank and asked of the Seer what we needed to know in order to help her, since we were under the effects of a geas to kill the Valsharess. Our personal vendetta did not help any, that is guaranteed.

"So, Seer….tell me what I need to know," softly intoned Amalia, "so that I may help both you and myself. _Usstan orn katrill nindel cahlind. Il 'udtila naut tangis'rytho'le ulu tlu ul'kas jalil._"

The Seer frowned. "It is sad that you feel as such. I was once much like her, though I did not share her ambition. Perhaps Nathyyra can fill you in on what we are dealing with?"

Nathyyra nodded and sat down her tea, and began to speak, relating the events prior to her rise, and what our task entailed. As Nathyyra spoke, however, our back slowly tensed as we could feel the sharp glares coming towards us from the surly, manly tiefling behind us. We drank our tea and listened to Nathyyra, but we stayed keenly aware of his rage and disapproval.

The Seer sat down her tea and moved to sit next to me, taking my hands with her own. "Please, Amalia...our salvation lies in you hands. Help us."

The tiefling interjected vehemently, approaching the couch where we sat. "Are you sure, Seer? We know nothing of this erinyes-spawned whore save for her questionable heritage and her-"

Nathyyra cut him off. "Her inane prowess at thwarting our general? Really, Valen, you are one to speak of heritage."

The Seer sighed and looked at Valen over the back of the couch. "Good Valen, I understand your concerns, but I have _seen_ this woman. She is the key to winning this war."

We looked at Valen and sighed, and Amalia spoke for us. "There is erinyes in my blood, yes. There is also the blood of pit fiends and succubi. And that is merely the outsider component of my ancestry. I am also of the Drow and the Moon Elves, and of humans. No one race can claim me, and no race seems to want to. I'm certain that you have experienced some of that yourself. Do not claim to know me simply by a limited scenting, _mdoolg ek Noolen_."

We watched and smiled as Valen tensed in recognition of our superior scenting and our knowing of his lineage. "I do not trust you, _kapoola_."

We shrugged. "_Eeeae ge teg dootsa ge,_ Valen. I won't ask you to."

Standing, we curtsied to the Seer, inclining our eyes. "I will do as you ask, though I wish a day to go to the shops in town and rest before we depart, Deekin and I."

The Seer smiled and nodded. "Of course."

I stood again and nodded in turn. "Thank you. _Stylii, Mystechimychunrakihu. Zii chiefii._

We had barely exited the temple when Valen caught me by the arm. "Might we speak?"

We sighed and shrugged. "Certainly, Valen. What is it?"

He set his jaw. "You did not reach the Underdark by the normal method and, given the circumstances, I figured that it would only be fair to you to make sure that you knew of the Underdark."

We smiled instinctively. "I know of the Underdark, Valen. Although," mused Amalia, "I would hear what you think I should know. Bedtime stories and textbooks only teach so much."

He looked at us oddly. "Bedtime stories?" He visibly shook off the question. "You obviously speak Drow fluently or near enough-even I cannot speak it fluently. You know that the Underdark is an entire world within a world, with rivers, islands, oceans, forests-"

"I understand, Valen. It has all of the geographical variety of the surface."

He blinked. "Yes, though the environs are likely different from what you are used to. Many of the denizens of the Underdark hide in the environs with ease; if you do not know where you are going, you would easily be ambushed and, in all likelihood, overwhelmed. I would not recommend leaving without someone accompanying you and your...lizard?"

We glared. "Kobold."

He shrugged. "Yes, well...neither of you seem like you can take very many hits. He is blatantly a bard, and you are a spellcaster. I saw the spell you used to remove your-"

We cut him off there. "_Oo aetganmgootg,_ Valen!"

He smirked. "Weak stomach?"

Amalia fought to not hit him, though I would have been more than happy to claw that smug look from his picturesque face. "Hardly. I just don't enjoy speaking of what happens when I get thrown through a strong teleport."

Then the idea occurred to us. "Valen?"

He looked at us. "I'm not sure I like that tone of voice. What is it?"

"Would _you_ travel with us?"

He looked sideways in thought, bringing a gauntleted hand up to rub the back of his neck to rub as he thought. "Yes," he said finally, "I believe that would be to our advantage. After you, _ussta jallil_."

We smirked. "'My Lady', hm? I think that this journey will be interesting."

**Translations:**

_jalil kivvil_-Drow, "lady surfacer"

_Usstan orn katrill nindel cahlind. Il 'udtila naut tangis'rytho'le ulu tlu ul'kas jalil._-Drow, "I will slaughter that snake. She does not even deserve to be called female."

_mdoolg ek Noolen_-Abyssal, "child of Balor"

_kapoola_-Abyssal, "female"

_Eeeae ge teg dootsa ge_-Abyssal, "You do not have to"

_Stylii, Mystechimychunrakihu. Zii chiefii._-Draconic, "Come, Scaleslinger. We leave."

_Oo aetganmgootg_-Abyssal, "I understand"

_ussta jallil_-Drow, "my Lady"

Drow translations by Chosen of Eilistraee, others by Slynderdale on tilansia


	3. Chapter 1 OC

Chapter One:

We sighed. "It was not too much longer before I arrived in the Hall of Justice in Neverwinter's City core. The place no longer exists, from what I've heard, but the damage done during the war was intense indeed. Aribeth, the wondrous pain-in-the-ass paladin, had summoned me. Despite my severe distaste of paladins-especially those in authority over me-I had responded. The Academy had, after all, fed me, clothed me, and trained me amongst other things. And I had borne witness to the escape of the cure for the Wailing Death. It was the least that I could do.

"Fenthic defended me before Desther, a priest of Helm, then pointed me on the way to his lover. Aribeth looked much relieved at my arrival."

000

"Amalia! It is good that you have come. When we sent the summons, we knew not what to expect from one such as yourself."

I arched a thin, blood-red eyebrow. "And would you be so kind as to inform me as to what exactly what "one such as yourself" would purport to mean?"

Aribeth grew visibly red. "Well, perhaps that was a bit...harsh? I did not have the time to properly introduce myself at the Academy. I am Lady Aribeth de Tylmarande, paladin of Tyr and right hand to Lord Nasher Alagondar, lord of Neverwinter. It is good that you have come.

"The attack on the Academy took us by surprise. You were there! You saw the slaughter! We were caught unawares! Through the fighting though came but a single survivor-you. This is why you were summoned."

I frowned at the pompous nature of the woman, and the haughtiness and ego that came with her introduction. I was no fan of paladins. Never had been, and never would be. Ever.

I sighed as I began to respond. "It isn't as though you had much choice, now is it? Mercs will turn when given a better price, and I am the only surviving "hero" that you louts managed to train well enough to survive. Perhaps what saved me wasn't the so-called "training" that I received, but other things, such as my heritage and my past. What is it that you want of me, regardless?"

Aribeth seemed to be ignoring my snide remark, biting back a retort to-I would assume-stay in my good graces. It was, to my chagrin, less than to my benefit.

"We have been hearing reports of strange creatures from every district in the city. We want you to go investigate these reports."

I rolled my eyes. "Details could become useful, you realize. I also hope that you understand that that was not the most informational briefing of a task. Babau give more detailed instructions without thinking."

Aribeth glared at me, something which I relished. "I will ignore that comment, seeing as you are good to attempt to ask for further information. What is it that you would know, so I might be rid of your perturbing presence?"

"I would know what exactly the reagents are, should things come down to force. I would know what reports come from where, so I might know what to expect. I might know where I could look for assistance in this task. I would also know where I might buy supplies. Is that so difficult?"

Aribeth sighed, and gave me the information that I requested, and some cautionary measures to take, such as finding a cleric to take with me against the Yuan-ti, and to wear a helm to fight the Intellect Devourer. All in all, a semi-helpful instruction.

I purchased some supplies from her; healing potions and first aid kits amongst other things. As I walked towards the exit, a halfling approached me.

"Oi! You wouldn't be needing any help, would you? Couldn't help but overhear you talkin' to th' elf over there. Sorry 'bout that."

I looked the man over. Round about his late twenties, early thirties by appearance, and, judging by his gear, a rogue. Always easier to unlock doors than to break them, but that was something that I could accomplish myself. I smiled.

"I may need your help at a later point in time, rogue. Until then, stay here, and stay safe."

He grinned. "Aye, then. I'll be holdin' ya to that."

I grinned back. "I'll be sure to find need of you."

I walked out of the door and was immediately assaulted by a young woman, likely around fifteen years of age, if my judging of human aging was correct. She grabbed me rather roughly by the shoulders and looked in my face, stooping to do so.

"Are you the hero that they're talking about? Help me!"

My eyes widened with the shock of the sudden grabbing and interrogation and command. "Woah, there. Slow down for a tick, sweetie. What the hells is going on?"

She let go of me and plopped down onto the ground unceremoniously as she sighed and took several deep breaths. "I'm from the Peninsula District. The prisoners broke out yesterday, and there are rumors that the head gaoler is the one that let them loose. None of the guards have come out alive.

"Prisoners are running amok. All of the people that haven't gotten out by now are trapped there. My family is stuck in there!"

I nodded. "I'll be sure to get them out, and sort the situation with the prisoners while I'm at it."

Her eyes began to shine with tears. I smiled encouragingly at her. She smiled back. "Thanks."

I wandered off to one of the local vendors that I knew of, and purchased a Ring of Jade. Slipping it on my finger, I smiled as the soft verdigris light flooded the area around me. The dark of night could be a good thing, but at times, was not. Fortunately, when the cover of darkness would benefit me, all that I would have to do would be to slip the ring from my finger.

The Mercenary enclave was not too far off, and as such, that was the next place that I stopped. I walked in the door, found that few of the mercs there were actually hiring themselves out at that time. One caught my eye-a half-orc barbarian by the name of Daelan Red-Tiger, apparently of the Uthgardt. He was large, intimidating, and-most importantly-a fighter.

000

Deekin looked at me funnily. We sighed. "Remember how Daelan insisted that he come along through Undermountain? That's because mages and bards aren't exactly the most formidable of fighters. The darling man is-and was-the perfect meat shield."

Nathyyra chuckled at this. "Meat shield?"

We smirked and arched an eyebrow at the dark elf. "Dislike my terminology, _jalil_?"

She smiled widely. "No. Just questioning your methods, _errdegahr ligrr_. Though Valen may have some objections."

We snorted at the name that she had used for us. "The blood of tanar'ri has its advantages, dear. And I'm sure that he knows that too."

Which was the truth further than any wanted to admit.

000

With Daelan at my side, there was a fair chance that I would survive what the districts would throw at me. Loyal and respectful, Daelan took my orders, despite his age seniority. Never a quip, never a qualm, just simple, loyal, obedience.

We exchanged little bits about ourselves over time. It wasn't much, but it was enough. We bonded over the fact that we were both mistreated as children due to our respective heritages. Granted, I was still a child, but we still had that fact in common at present. We were both viewed as things to fear due to our demi-monstrous heritage. We were viewed as monsters because, quite simply, the general populace was too stupid to get to know us before judging us. Its a loathsome practice, yet a prevalent one. We grew close, and he almost came too look upon me as a younger sister or a daughter.

As we progressed through the Peninsula District, we found that we were most effective when I rode atop his broad shoulders, my legs straddling his neck as he swung his enormous double-bladed axe. I slung my spells from there, and we proved to be a terrifying combination. It was hard to hit him due to his speed, and it was hard to hit me due to my position. When someone tried, they found themselves lain flat onto their backs by Daelan, sent into a rage. When one tried to hit Daelan by sneaking up on him, I would send a spell their way, and giggle as, more often than not, their face melted-a quality of mine that Daelan found most entertaining.

We made our way into the complex by way of the basement of the house of one of the more notable ladies in the district. We found her dead on the giant chess board in her basement, with a hole in her head, her brain scooped clean out of her head. I examined it in horror, staring at the inside of her skull. Not even the blood remained in the former housing of her mind. I took a knife to her robe and examined the body further. No signs of struggle or battle. No other scratches or dents. Just a hole in her head and a missing brain. Perturbing indeed.

Daelan watched as I examined the body and stared at me once I had finished. His voice was flat. "What in the world happened here? It is odd, this injury. How could it be possible to do something such as this?"

I looked up and shrugged. "I have no fucking clue, Dae. I have no fucking clue."

We continued on after that. My ring was off, so it was more difficult to see Daelan and myself. We trudged through the dungeon of a prison, and cut down most anything that got in our path. There had been a guard that ran into a safe room, beckoning us to follow, who filled us in on the details of what was going on in the prison at that time. There had been no communication between those that were stuck inside and those that had gotten out. The closest that it had come to communication was the prisoners throwing the heads of deceased guards out the front door at their former comrades.

Guards were being cut down, one by one, in the lower level. Few had escaped the initial break-out, and it was indeed the head gaoler that had released the prisoners. The upper level had nothing but what we had been dealing with before hand; gang-bangers and their leaders. The lower levels, however, were full of those that had done worse than simple gang activity. They were the murderers, the rapists, the fools that were so far beyond societies norms and mores that they were simply thrown into a pit, never to be seen again. Those in the upper level could gain release. Those in the pit, the lower levels, could not. They were the hardened criminals. And they acted as such.

000

We smiled in our reverie. "Daelan and I raised our bar as well. We found that our previous tactic worked extremely well in terms of positioning, but not necessarily in terms of battle strategy. What we attempted here, which we found to work even better than our previous tactic, was to let me initiate a group by using _Magic Missile_ , then letting Daelan cut them down as they came recklessly, enraged by the surprise of my missiles.

"We progressed further and further, finding few to truly put up a fight, attempting to make our way to the furthest reaches of the prison, where the head gaoler was said to have locked himself. We were getting closer, our enemies getting closer together and tougher to kill. We were all but exhausted when we finally reached a safe room. There we rested, discussing the situation."

000

He sighed. "The door is locked now, so we should be safe. What do you think about this?"

I shrugged my shoulders, something I had been doing often of late. "I'm unsure. I think that one of the creatures is involved in this. If you think about the creatures, what they're capable of, its logical as to which one is the culprit."

He scratched his head and frowned. His brow furrowed as he thought out loud. "Well, there's the Yuan-ti, the Dryad, the Cockatrice, and the Intellect Devourer. I am not sure of what a Yuan-ti is, nor the Intellect Devourer. The others don't seem likely."

I nodded. "The Yuan-ti is like a human mixed with snake. The less pure-blooded they are, the more they are like snakes. Pure booded yuan-ti look almost human, where the more impure look closer to naga or marilith. Often times, they are mages or necromancers. No brain sucking there. But the Intellect Devourer, on the other hand..." I cringed.

He looked at me warily. I exhaled sharply and began to explain. "Picture in your mind a dog. Now strip it of its fur and flesh, replacing those things with scaly green carapace. Remove the fur, flesh and skull from the head until it is only a brain. That is an Intellect Devourer."

Daelan looked at me with shock and disgust evident in his expression. "What else do you know of them?"

I frowned. "Not that much, sadly. I know that they feed on intellect, but I wasn't too sure of whether they simply made you stupid, or if they actually ate your mind. I couldn't think of a way for them to have a mouth, so I assumed the former. Perhaps it is actually the latter. At any rate, I was always told that helmets were a good idea when fighting them, and the prissy paladin agrees."

Daelan nodded. "We have no helmets though."

I grimaced. "We just have to keep it from getting too close, then, and kill it quickly."

When we had rested, and felt that we were ready to press on, we unlocked the door and crept out of the safe room. No prisoners were around to the best of our knowledge, but we still sneaked about as though there were more around any corner.

Much to our approval, we found that our assessment had indeed been correct. There were no prisoners nearby, and we pressed on, finding fewer and fewer enemies. Eventually, we came upon a half-orc prisoner, who surrendered just before death, telling us of the gaoler and what he had been up to.

The words tumbled from my mouth before I had any earnest realization of what I was saying. "We need to kill the fucker then. Superb."

Daelan looked at me oddly, and I shrugged. "How else are we going to manage to get the little bastard out? It won't come willingly, and it can't be removed by force unless the gaoler is dead."

Daelan sighed. "You really are a vicious thing, you know this, yes? Incredibly vicious."

I nodded. "Its not entirely my fault. Hold here a moment while I go see if I can't sneak in and convince the guards to leave."

I snuck inside and with a bit of persuasion on my part after bringing the men to their senses, they left, and I motioned for Daelan to come in.

The gaoler went down easily enough, the Devourer not knowing how to fight as well in a humanoid form, and controlling the gaoler too poorly to fight well. The Devourer itself, on the other hand, was far from an easy fight. It resisted my spells, its carapace bounced Daelan's axe back more hits than not, and it was faster than would be expected for a creature of its size and leg length, so Daelan hit the floor with his axe more often than not.

"Damnit, Daelan! Stomp it like a puppy!" I snarled as I flung it backwards after it had hopped on me, knocking me to the floor as it tried to turn me into its newest host. I crouched, and readied my dagger. As it pounced again, I brandished my blade, nicking its underside and lodging the tip of my blade between two pieces of the disturbingly slimy green exoskeleton covering it. Daelan was there when it stopped, and did as I suggested.

000

"Daelan brought his foot down on the squirrely little bastard, driving my blade into its innards. The damn thing twitched as I was cutting its brain from its corpse. I couldn't tell if it was because I was manipulating it's nervous system, or if it was somewhat still alive. I really just didn't care at that point.

"Daelan picked me up and we left, exiting the prison and the entire district. Showed up at the Hall of Justice before we stopped to rest and bathe. The look on Aribeth's face was _priceless_."

000

Aribeth's upper lip curled in disgust as I, filthy as I was, chucked the cold, slimy, fleshy reagent at her feet. She visibly gagged as it landed with a solid "splat" and she moved to pick it up, handing it to a handmaiden nearby and wiping her hands on a rag on the woman's shoulder immediately after.

She spoke once she turned back to me. "You did well. What happened?"

I shrugged and summed up. She looked at me in horror. "So this was the cause of all the commotion in the Peninsula District? It is good you were there, Amalia.

"Nasher rewards those that serve well, though the effort of combating the plague has left the coffers of Neverwinter more bare than normal. Take this 200 gold, and spend it well. You have earned it, Tiefling."

I nodded and took the gold, muttering my thanks as I turned to leave with Daelan.

We rested, ate and bathed in the wee hours of the morn, having just come back from the Peninsula. As we ate, we discussed where we should look next, Daelan polishing and sharpening his axe as I flipped through pages in my journal where I had written down rumors that I had heard.

"There's the undead hordes pouring out of the Nest...used to sleep there, out on the streets with those that couldn't afford room even there. Can't bear to imagine what would have happened to me had I been there when the Nest started to get overrun."

Daelan paused in his meticulous whetting to take a drink and coment. "Would it perhaps be a good idea to go with Linu instead of myself in the Nest? She is a cleric, afterall."

I frowned, allowing myself to speak plainly, although improperly. "Iunno. There's just something about the _darthiir_ that sets me on edge. I think she's offended by my heritage, honestly."

Daelan ignored my slip into a language foreign to him, likely assuming that the word I used was harmless, judging based on my tone. "She doesn't mean ill by it if she does. You are uncommon, and you _behave_ abnormally, as well as looking it. Some people can't help but be set on edge by that."

I became very self-conscious in that moment, setting down my mug abruptly and curling the tail that had held it as tightly around my leg as possible. I could feel the heat rise to my cheeks. "It isn't my fault that I'm different. The first six years of my life, my prehensile tail was a major source of envy for those that could only use their tail for balance. Now it's terrible to have a tail, let alone utilize it where you can." I pouted. "It's dumb that people hold things I can't control against me."

Daelan smiled kindly. "It is. Neither of us could control the lot we were given in life by our parents' bloodlines. But we must deal. I, personally, find some of the things you do with that tail fascinating, Lia. You were just using it to drink while you were researching to decide our next course of action. That's incredible in my opinion."

A tiny smile broke through the pout and I looked at Daelan. "Thanks, Dae."

After more deliberating, we decided to separate for the moment, and as Daelan went to the Shining Knight to have one of his axe heads replaced, I went to the Hall of Justice to pick up the rogue.

Tomi and I headed quickly to the Docks, where upon hearing of the troubles with thieves, I traded my robe for a black leotard and thick leather corset, keeping my thigh high boots. Tomi gawked.

"Aye, best damn looking demon cat burglar I've done seen in years." He grinned at me as he said it, making sure I knew there was no offense intended.

I giggled. "Flatterer. Let's move."

000

"We moved quickly, taking down multiple enemies as we moved. I began collecting the small red gems they all carried, assuming them to be currency of some kind. Along the way, we were ambushed by a group of assassins, on whom I found a note. I stashed the note, making a mental note to show Aribeth later.

"We got to the docks proper, and broke into the ship belonging to Vengaul, leader of the Blood Sailors, a relatively well known pirate crew. I took one of the cleaner uniforms with me, in case I found the need to impersonate one of their ranks later on. I had a feeling that the troubles in the docks were related to Vengaul, who hadn't been seen in several days."

Nathyyra smirked. "I'm still caught on the, ah...'best damn demon cat burglar' was it, Imloth?"

Imloth chimed in. "It was at that."

We grinned. "Tomi was _nothing_ compared to other more..._tounle jaluk_ that tried to woo me. Believe me, while Tomi Undergallows was indeed an endearing fellow, he was nothing if not commonplace. I still think that he was half joking whenever he tried to offer his services.

"Regardless, the situation in the Docks was resolved without much effort on my part, and I took the reagent, the Cockatrice feather, to Aribeth."

000

"Amalia, where others have found only failure, you have found shining success. What happened that you are bringing me the reagent, and not the creature? Wait...perhaps that is a foolish question.

"At any rate, Nasher has another pouch of gold for me to give you, with another 200 gold in it. Good luck, and godspeed, Tiefling."

I walked out and wandered back to the Trade of Blades and sat with Daelan and Tomi, who introduced me to Sharwyn. Linu came over, and we welcomed her to the table too, though she tried her damnedest to avoid sitting near me. As the night progressed, however, she came to terms with me as she came to know me.

It came to her as some shock, however, when I asked her to join me so that I could better navigate the trials that would come in the Nest. Though she agreed, and admired my forethought, I could still feel her unease.

I smiled reassuringly at her. "Come, _omealw_. Let us go see what we can do in the Nest."

000

We frowned slightly. "Both the Nest and Blacklake passed without much difficulty, the Nest yielding the Yuan-ti heart, Blacklake yielding the dryad hair. Aribeth gave 200 gold per reagent, and once I had delivered the last, we went to Castle Never, where the ritual to produce the cure was to take place.

"The ritual itself went off without a hitch, but what happened after is what started so many things that wouldn't have happened otherwise. Desther turned out to be a traitor, making this obvious by taking the cure and running through a portal that he summoned. Ever the loyal friend, Fenthick ran after him, and Aribeth ran to stabilize the portal so that I might pass through, retrieve Desther, Fenthick, and the cure, and the return.

"Obviously, I survived that ordeal, going through the portal, fighting my way through legions of the undead and false Helmites in the now empty and desecrated temple called Helm's Hold, finding Desther and Fenthick, retrieving them and the cure, and then coming back. I can't say that Desther or Fenthick were so lucky.

"Desther was given a sham of a trial, though in a true trial, there would have been no question as to his guilt. He was burned at the stake to punish him for his crimes, and his ashes were then taken and dumped into the sea so that he may never be resurrected in any form. But the crowd-no, the _mob_-was still hungry for blood.

"To sate them, Nasher tried Fenthick in the same sham-style trial, where he was found guilty. I stood by Aribeth's side at the front of the crowd the day he was to be hung in accordance with his crimes. As he dropped, I whispered the necessary words and put my all into casting _Finger of Death_, taking pity on the lovers. The spell was true to its aim, and Fenthick died before his neck snapped, though I hurt myself in the casting, not used to channeling that much energy from the Weave at once."

The silence was tangible as we looked around, taking in the eyes of the onlookers. The rapt attention was comforting and proof that these here actually cared about what I had done and where I came from-that they genuinely wanted the answer to the questions that they had asked.

And they were getting the answer that they had asked for, the only cost to them the drinks purchased to keep my mouth moist, a cost none of them seemed to mind.

**Translations:**

_darthiir_-Drow, "surface elf"

_tounle jaluk_-Drow, "impressive males"

_omealw_-Elven, "friend"

**Have I missed a translation or import error? Let me know.**


End file.
